Chapter 4

I came around slowly from my forced nap, to the sound of Fred beeping up a storm. 'What time is it?' I thought? My whole body hurt, and it was like I had a headache I my eye (is that even possible? any-ways), had I done another all-nighter, and why was the couch so much more comfortable than usual? Slowly I opened my eyes, and squinting a bit all I saw were instruments of torture that shouldn't be that pink ... then it all came back to me. I had made it to the future but it really sucked.

My eyes started to adjust, and lifting my aching head I looked around the dimly lit lab for any sign of Solath or any of the Green pig demons. Looks like the coast was clear but the lab was really spooky it seemed to be about ballroom size and full of mad science goodies, but made all the worse by me being I was all alone and still restrained on the table. Not that I was going anywhere that far in this condition. But still, who likes to be stuck under what I thought to be a pink anal probe machine with all the apps. In a lab that just screamed "I'm crazy, and I want to eat you."

I shivered as I glanced over at eyes in glass jars that seemed to be looking at me, on that thought "Fred, good buddy, can you hear me?" I called in a shaky voice.

"beeeep beep zap beep beeeeeeeep" answered Fred.

"Stop swearing, I can't understand a word you're saying when you do that." I snapped at him regaining some of my wits.

There was a brief silence and I thought he didn't hear me. I was about to call again when I heard one final beep and Fred reply.

"Sorry master, but we are in trouble, and it is all your fault, and I'm just saying what needs to be said" Fred said "anyway, master, we are not getting out of here anytime soon."

"Wait, back up," I said "how is this all my fault?"

In a cultured British tone, Fred replied "It became your fault when you got too excited to stay and wait for me to download and give you the pertinent data on this time, you, master, just had to go and look around and couldn't wait."

"There was good reason for that, and you know it." I said "Also, since when are you British?"

"Since now, master, and don't try to change the subject." Fred scolded "Seeing a cool glowing tower on Alcatraz did not warrant a closer look without knowing if it was friendly or not, or if we were in friendly territory, even."

"But Fred, the future is supposed to be at peace and have understanding women." I shot back "The one nice girl, though, that I did meet actually talked to me!"

"Most impressive, master." Fred interjected

"Yes, thank you, anyway, as I was saying, the one nice girl I did meet, though, is slated to be a slave, and I'll most likely never see her again. And it looks like I'll never get the girl, since the future looks to suck all around, and all our work to get here doesn't matter now, since I'm going to be lobotomised. Where is the justice for the nice guys, why do the girls only like the ones that are no good for them, or are already taken? And now, when I get to meet any geek's dream girl that actually liked me, sort of ... I think? Anyway, where was I, Fred?"

"You were ranting about never getting the girl again, sir" Fred replied.

"Ahh, yes, Jill was awesome, and now I'll never see her again, life for a geek just isn't fair" I said sadly, my head drooping down to my chest, allowing my hair cover my eyes. Mumbling to myself and reminiscing about the many time the dreaded words "let's just be friends" were said to me, or the ever classic "it's not me, it's you", I always thought it was supposed to be the other way around...

"Master, it's been the usual three minutes interval, would you like for us to continue in trying to gett out of here, master?" said Fred, after what I guess was three minutes of me sulking.

"Sure, can you hack the computers in this lab and at least release me?" I asked, looking to where I haerd Fred talking before.

"Yes, master, I can at least try, Miss Solath forgot to unhook me when trying to figure out my function, and I've had enough time to understand how the computers work in this time, but as of yet have not tried to do anything besides the basic queries. Wish me luck."

"Very good, see it done, number two." I commanded

"Number two? Who is Number one, sir?" asked Fred.

"Me, of course" I replied.

"Ahh, well, on that note I shall begin." said Fred.

What followed were the most beeps I have ever heard from Fred ever, it must be a lot harder than that time Fred hacked into all the computers in the world, for him to be swearing this much. As I lay there waiting for the bindings, I had time to think on how I was going to get off the space station, sadly, I didn't have enough information to even to begin to formulate a plan. But if I could get out of this lab I could, maybe, at least avoid becoming a drone.

Speaking of drones, the humans of this time, and every other race, actually, were pretty screwed. That didn't look to be changing anytime soon, since they looked happy, looked being the operative word. I couldn't really make a difference here, but maybe I didn't have to ... I did have a time machine.

I could still see that woman that stood next to me as I was carried away. It was so sad; the look in her eyes was like she knew she was going to die. She would never see her family again, and if she did, she knew she wouldn't really know them, and would have to do to them what was done to her.

Damn, this isn't what it's supposed to be like. I'm just John the geek from Oakland, a person forgotten after meeting, how could I do this, change the future? How can I not go to the past and make sure that woman doesn't have to suffer?

My mind was made up, I'll get out of here and make a blast in the past, and the Razory will never know what hit them. Now, if Fred would stop swearing, I mean beeping, we could get out of here.

I wonder how Jill is doing, and if she would want to come with me. She did nod her head saying we could be friends. What kind of friend would I be if I left her here?